The night before: Whisk together the eggs, vanilla, Grand Marnier, sugar and half-and-half. Stir in the orange zest. Refrigerate.

Using three sizes of heart-shaped cookie cutters, cut heart-shapes out of the bread slices. Put bread hearts on a plate and cover loosely with a dish towel.

In the morning: Preheat oven to lowest setting. Place a clean sheet pan on the middle rack in the oven.

Dip the heart-shaped bread pieces in the egg-orange mixture and place on a wire rack sitting in a sheet pan.

Melt 1 tablespoon of butter, oil or a combination of both in a large, nonstick sauté pan. Place bread hearts, 2 to 3 at a time in the pan and cook until golden brown on both sides. Place cooked toast in the oven to keep warm while cooking the remainder of the batch. Add butter and/or oil to the sauté pan as necessary.

Heat half a jar of Nutella in the microwave in 15-second intervals until melted and smooth, about 1 minute. Drizzle over French toast, if desired.

In a large bowl, combine poultry with shallots, carrot and bouquet garni. Add half the bottle of champagne. Marinate overnight.

Remove poultry from marinade and pat dry. Strain marinade, reserving both the solids and liquid. In a large frying pan, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. Remove and drain. Pour all but about 1 tablespoon of bacon drippings from pan.

Heat drippings with the oil and add chicken pieces skin side down. Cook on both sides over medium heat until well browned, about 3 minutes per side. Remove from pan and keep warm.

Champagne Chocolate Sauce

In a heavy medium saucepan, warm the cream, champagne and sugar over moderate heat until it is hot to the touch.

Remove the pan from the heat and quickly whisk in the chocolate until it is melted. Serve over ice cream, pound cake or dessert tarts. You can store the sauce in the refrigerator for up to 30 days.

(From “Festive Favorites,” by the California Culinary Academy)

Truffle Eggs

2 servings

6 eggs

1⁄2 cup heavy cream

2 tablespoons butter

1 teaspoon truffle oil, optional (see note)

6 black or white truffles, thinly sliced (see note)

4 slices bread, toasted

In a bowl, whisk the eggs and cream together. Gently heat the butter and oil in a heavy-based frying pan. Pour in the egg mixture and sprinkle over the truffle slices. Allow the base of the eggs to begin to set, then with a flat-topped wooden spoon gently pull the cooked egg into the middle of the pan so the uncooked portion reaches the bottom of the pan. Continue this process until the eggs are just cooked and not too firm.

Lift the eggs onto the toast and serve immediately.

Note: Truffle oil and jarred truffles can be purchased at specialty markets such as Major Market in Escondido, Jonathans in La Jolla and Bristol Farms in La Jolla. Truffle oil ranges from $17 to $18. Truffles in a jar range from $14 to $28 depending on size.

Thoroughly mix all the ingredients except the garnish in a bowl of an ice cream maker or a mixing bowl. If you do not own an ice cream maker, you can freeze the mixture in a shallow plastic container or put in popsicle molds.

(From Diane Kern)

Chilled Bloody-Mary Soup With Crabmeat

8 to 10 servings

6 ripe tomatoes

4 large red bell peppers, seeded

2 large green bell peppers, seeded

2 cucumbers, peeled and seeded

3 stalks celery, strings removed

1 small clove garlic

1 red onion

3 tablespoons olive oil

Juice of 2 limes, or to taste

4 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Tabasco, to taste

2 tablespoons freshly grated or prepared horseradish, or to taste

1⁄2 cup vodka, optional

1 pound jumbo lump crabmeat, picked over for shells and cartilage

Cut the vegetables, garlic and onion into large chunks and purée in batches in a blender or food processor, adding some of the olive oil to each batch.

Strain through a sieve into a large bowl to remove skin and seeds.

Add lime juice, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper to taste, and Tabasco, horseradish and vodka, if desired. Cover, chill for at least 2 hours, or overnight. Taste before serving; adjust seasonings if necessary. The amount of lime juice needed will depend on the acidity of the tomatoes.

Ladle into soup bowls; place 1/4 cup of crabmeat in the center of each. Grate additional fresh horseradish over surface of soup, if desired. Serve immediately.